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Rep. Reid Ribble is the proud owner of an assortment of guns, including an 1896 12-gauge shotgun he inherited from his grandfather. Ribble also is a member of the National Rifle Association.

But as the debate over gun control has reignited in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., elementary school massacre, Ribble says serious consideration must be given to proposals to keep guns out of the hands of those who would harm others.

"The tragedy in Newtown brought the issue of mass violence in America front and center and prompted the start of an important national dialogue about how to prevent these ...